Arrangements have previously been proposed to maintain an animal such as a dog in a predetermined area. U.S Pat. No. 3,753,421 discloses an above ground horizontal antenna, or signal emitting wire, which surrounds a given area, and a high voltage receiver circuit is mounted to the animal for receiving a signal from the wire and producing a physical effect on the animal as it approaches the wire. Similar arrangements have been constructed utilizing a buried antenna. The intensity of the physical effect which is an electrical shock may increase as the dog approaches the antenna.
Other animal training devices have been proposed which require a trainer to carry a radio transmitter-receiver and signal to the animal if the animal strays too far, which arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,104. Also, radio transmitter receiver arrangements have been used in training of an animal which includes a facility for imparting a voltage shock to the animal as an aid in training.
Apparatus has further been proposed where the animal wears a responder which is responsive to an ultrasonic transmitter and the distance of the animal from the transmitter is measured by the round trip time of the transmitted signal, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,051.
The first mentioned system may be obtrusive in appearance and if buried may be quite expensive. The known training devices such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,104 require the master or trainer to be in attendance at all times.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a system which comprises a stationary central control unit and an animal mounted transmitter-receiver which can produce various physical effects on the animal dependent upon the distance of the animal from the central control. Once a plurality of distances or zones are established, there is no further need for human attendance. Additionally, a system embodying the invention may provide a behavior pattern of the dog.